Posted By:
warshawlawI hear a lot of complaining about "stabilization" and reference to it in the same way as trimming, rebacking, rebuilding, etc. Like the tax system, it seems to me that most of the people bitching about it don't quite grasp what it is.
"Stabilizing" a paper item is not the same as trimming, rebuilding, rebacking, removing ink, etc. It is placing a chemical of a certain pH that does not harm paper onto a paper item to prevent the acids in the wood pulp that made the paper from causing the paper to deteriorate as rapidly as it otherwise would. Unlike rebuilding, rebacking, removing ink, etc., it is regular and accepted part of paper art conservation, the emphasis being on conservation of what is already there. Stablization slows or stops the aging process by neutralizing the chemical responsible for the action, it does not clean up the item or remove the damage (yellowing) that is already present.
Is it alteration to the raw item? Yes. Should it be disclosed by a seller? Yes. But it is not in the same class as the other forms of alteration and IMHO if done properly should not have a deleterious effect on the item's value.